WO 171/414 - 3 Infantry Division RA - September 1944

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: HQRA 3rd Br Inf Div
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Brig. G.G. Mears, MC

Place	Date	Summary	Reference
ST PAUL	1	Nothing to report
LE THILL EN VEXIN	2	Move of tac HQRA to LE THILL EN VEXIN 1335 miles via GACE, BERNAY, EURE br at LOUVIERS and SEINE br at LES ANDELYS- in action 1830 hrs.
	3	Arrival of Div Arty in VEXIN area. Main HQRA reached LE THILL EN VEXIN 2300 hrs via LAIGLE, VERNEUIL and LOUVIERS and LES ANDELYS brs. Locations 7 Fd Regt ST MARIE DE VATIMESNIL, 33 Fd Regt RICHELVILLE, 76 Regt BOISEMONT, 20 A Tk Regt and 101 A Tk Bty LE THILL EN VEXIN, 41, 45 and 67 A Tk Btys grouped with their respective bdes, 92 LAA Regt VATEMESNIL. Units were concentrated and NOT in action
	4-14	Training and maintenance	See RA r Br Inf Div Adm Order No 13 (Appx 'A'
	7-9	Counter mortar courses and demonstrations held.
	11-12	Counter mortar exercise ETHELRED - repa form Fd Regts, A Tk and LAA Regt, took part.
	13	Div Arty Officers wireless
	15-16	Move of tac HQRA to BELGIUM via ALBERT and VALENCIENNES. Great reception at Belgian frontier SW of MONS. Staged night 15/16 at BRAIN LE COMTE. Continued early 16th via NIVELLES, LOUVAIN, DIEST, ALBERT canal br at BERINGEN to COURSEL.	See RA r Br Inf Div Adm Order No 14 (Appx 'B'
COURSEL	16-18	Move to BELGIUM of the Division. Route as for Tac HQRA. Staging area CASTEAU NE of MONS.
PEER	17	Tac HQRA est 387837 1 1/2 km west of PEER. 61 Med Regt 474 (ind) Sl Bty and CBO 8 Corps came under comd and "B' Flt 659 Air OP Sqn in direct support.
	17-18	Units in action 7 Fd Regt HERIS 401893, 33 Fd Regt 412888, 76 Fd Regt 431895, all area PETIT BROGEL.
PETIT BROGEL	18-19	Night: OP "Hurry on" to cross MEUSE - ESCAUT canal at LILLE ST HUBERT and est brhead in thatb areabbetween canal and rly and thence to ACHEL with 9 Br Inf Bde followed by 8 Br Inf Bde. Div Arty in sp together with Div Arty of 43 and 50 Divs, 151 (AY) Fd Regt of 11 Arm Div and 77 Med Regt of 8 AGRA. Enemy mainly consisted of Regt Hoffman, not very strong.	See target List dated 18 Sep, RA r Br Inf Div. Fire plan for night 18/19 Sept and Infm trace. (Appx 'C'
	19	Op successful and class 9 br completed over canal by 830 hrs. ACHEL and HAMONT secured. Main HQRA joined Tac HQRA. Units moved up: 7 Fd Regt 415925, 33 Fd Regt 436931, 92 LAA Regt deployed with 474 SL Bty in gun and br area. Loading tps 3 Br Inf Div entered HOLLAND.	See target List 19 Sept "D'
	20	No move as rd over br at LILLE ST HUBERT reserved for 11 Armd Div. Opportunity tgts engaged
	21	76 Fd Regt moved to 459967 and later 522982 and 33 Fd Regt to 472962. Quiet day.
HAMONT	22	Nove HQRA to HAMONT 475975. 61 Med Regt to 481975. WEERT captured by 8 Br Inf Bde but rly br blown. Opportunity tgts engaged by div Arty.
De BULT	23	3 Br Inf Div op to relieve 11 Armd Div and take over ASTEN (Phase 1 by 185 Inf Bde) and DEURNE (phase 2 by 9 Br inf Bde). 8 Br Inf Bde to remain in area WEERT with under comd 76 Fd Regt and patrol MAASTRICHT canal to assist 3 Recce Regt in event of enemy penetration of canal South of rd junc 613055. 61 Med Regt in support of 185 and 9 Inf Bds in Phases I and II. 92 LAA egt deployed to protect ASTEN br and Div HQ. HQRA entered HOLLAND and est at DE BULT 553116 between HEEZE and ZOMEREN. Capt of DEURNE by 11 Armd Div delayed until 24 Sept, but 185 Inf Bde est of ASTEN brhead. 7 Fd Regt moved to area 568124 East of ZOMEREN.	See RA 3 Br Inf Div OO no 11 ( Appx 'E')
	24	1 KOSB occupied LIESSEL. Small op by 185 Inf Bde to secure HEUSDEN. 33 Fd Regt in action to 577104 South of ZOMEREN. 61 Med Regt in action 569115 VAARSEL.
	25	11 Armsd Div entered HELMOND, which was taken over by 1 Norfolk with 7 Fd Regt in Sp.. 11 Armd Div pushed fwd to BAKEL and MILHEEZE with leading elements to BOXMEER on the MEUSE. 33 Fd Regt moved to area DEURNE 641183. 76 Fd Regt continued sp of 8 Br Inf Bde in area WEERT, moving to 580988.
	26	8 Br Inf Bde concentrated MAARHEEZE area with 2 E Yorks in GEMERT. On relief in WEERT area by 4 Armd Bde, 76 Fd Regt concentrated area HEEZE. One tp 7 Fd Regt moved up in close ap 1 Norfolk in HELMOND area. Me 109 shot down by A tp 92 LAA in Div area.
	27	8 Br Inf Bde take over BAKEL area. 76 Fd Regt moved to 605237 near BAKEL and 61 Med Regt to 630204 West of DEURNE. HQRA moved to 5842115 east of HELMOND. Tp of 7 Fd Regt near HELMOND withdrawn. Roving tp sent to area MEIJEL successfully engaged tgts. Arty R shoots carried out by 61 Med Regt. 92 LAA Regt claimed three Me 109 aircraft hit and probably destroyed (Category 2 claim)
HELMOND	28	7 Fd Regt moved to 617133 East of ASTEN and 61 Med Regt moved one tp to this area under comd 7 Fd Regt. Opportunity tgts and HBs engaged : Arty R employed.
	29	7 US Armd Div took over area DEURNE ZOMEREN LIESSEL. 8 Br Inf Bde GEMERT area. 9 Br Inf Bde BAKEL. 185 Br Inf Bde ZOMEREN. 76 Fd Regt moved to 606296.
HELMOND	30	7 US Armd Div directed on OVERLOON - VENRAY - VENLO supported by Div Arty. Opportunity tgts engaged and pre-arranged shoots for CBO carried out. DEURNE re-occupied by 9 Br Inf Bde and ASTEN Brhead by 185 Inf Bde.

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Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Theo Vervoort.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

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